TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 17, 2015) - Following the successful June 8th meeting of provincial and territorial health ministers to discuss universal pharmacare, health care professionals are launching a new campaign calling on all federal parties to commit to a national drug coverage plan.

Media are invited to a press conference to be held June 18th at 10am to launch the Campaign for National Drug Coverage.

Where:

Daniels Spectrum, Digital Bridge Room, 2nd floor

585 Dundas Street East, Toronto

Speakers:

Dr. Danyaal Raza, Canadian Doctors for Medicare

Scott Wolfe, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres

Lorraine Telford, R.N. LAMP Community Health Centre

A woman with firsthand experience of the challenges affording the medicines her family needs will be available for media interviews.

Lead organizations to date in the campaign include: Canadian Doctors for Medicare, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Association of Ontario Health Centres, and Pharmacare 2020.

Canadians currently pay some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world and each year over 3 million Canadians don't fill their prescriptions because they can't afford to. Canada is the only developed country with a universal health care system that does not include universal prescription drug coverage.